Page 107 - Russia

Uttar Pradesh government taps Russia, Gulf markets for farm exports

Earlier, a shipment of mangoes was sent to Russia, which fetched the local farmers almost 10 times higher prices than local rates

Russia suspects supply of India-made 115mm artillery shells to Ukraine

The Ministry of External Affairs has categorically denied these claims, stating that the Foreign Minister has only held discussions on bilateral cooperation with Ukraine

Russia speeds up citizenship path for foreigners who enlist in military

President Vladimir Putin on Thursday signed a decree that speeds up a path to Russian citizenship for foreigners who enlist in the country's military amid the 22-month-old war in Ukraine. The move comes as Moscow is trying to replenish its troops in Ukraine by various methods, including the recruitment of migrants. Russia is a magnet for hundreds of thousands of people from poorer Central Asian countries, and many of them seek citizenship each year. Putin first allowed fast-track citizenship for foreigners who sign contracts with the Russian army in September 2022, shortly after announcing a partial mobilization to draft 300,000 reservists for Ukraine. Those immigrants who signed a contract for at least a year and take part in active hostilities for at least six months were allowed to apply for citizenship without demonstrating sufficient knowledge of Russian or the fact that they'd lived in the country for five straight years under a residency permit. Spouses and children were also

North Korea providing Russia with ballistic missiles, says US govt

US intelligence officials have determined that Russia has acquired ballistic missiles from North Korea and is seeking close-range ballistic missiles from Iran as Moscow struggles to replenish supplies for its war with Ukraine, the White House said on Thursday. Recently declassified intelligence found that North Korea has provided Russia with ballistic missile launchers and several ballistic missiles, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said. Russian forces fired at least one of those ballistic missiles into Ukraine on December 30 and it landed in an open field in the Zaporizhzhia region, he said. Russia launched multiple North Korean ballistic missiles on Tuesday as part of an overnight attack, the impact of which the US was assessing, he said. Kirby said a Russia-Iran deal had not been completed, but that the US is concerned that Russia's negotiations to acquire close range ballistic missiles from Iran are actively advancing. The Biden administration has repeatedly sou

Google, Meta, Tiktok's debts removed from Russian state bailiffs' database

But the database, accessed by Reuters on Wednesday, still includes X (formerly Twitter) and Twitch, with fines totalling 51 million roubles ($560,730) and 23 million roubles ($252,879), respectively

India has no problem in making payment for Russian oil: Hardeep Puri

Puri, who is in charge of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry, said India enjoys a buyers' position and foreign oil suppliers are making offers to its companies

Russia, Ukraine exchange prisoners of war in deal brokered by UAE

Russia and Ukraine on Wednesday exchanged hundreds of prisoners of war under a deal sponsored by the United Arab Emirates. Ukrainian authorities said that 230 Ukrainian prisoners of war returned home. Russia's Defence Ministry said that 248 Russian servicemen have been freed from Ukrainian captivity. The ministry said that the deal was made possible thanks to mediatory efforts by the United Arab Emirates. The massive prisoner exchange followed other such deals earlier in the war, which is nearing the two-year mark.

Russian oil imports drop on pricing, not due to payment woes: Hardeep Puri

"There is no payment problem ... It is a pure function of the price at which our refineries will buy," Puri told a press conference

EU targets world's biggest diamond miner Alrosa as part of Russia sanctions

The European Union imposed sanctions on the world's biggest diamond mining company and its chief executive officer on Wednesday as part of what it called its unwavering commitment to Ukraine in the war against Russia. The move targeted Alrosa, which accounts for about 90% of Russia's diamond production, and CEO Pavel Marinychev. The EU headquarters said the company constitutes an important part of an economic sector that is providing substantial revenue to Moscow. It means Alrosa's assets in Europe will be frozen and EU citizens and companies will be barred from making funds available to the company. Marinychev, who was appointed CEO last May for three years, also faces a travel ban in Europe. The EU had already banned the import, purchase or transfer of Russian non-industrial natural and synthetic diamonds and diamond jewelry from Jan. 1. The measure applies to diamonds originating in Russia, exported from Russia, transiting through Russia and Russian diamonds processed ...

India likely to resist Pakistan's bid to be a full-fledged member of Brics

Pakistan has sought Russia's help to become a member during its Brics presidency which began on Monday with the motto of "Strengthening Multilateralism for Equitable Global Development and Security"

Brics became positive, stable force for good: China on bloc's expansion

China on Tuesday said that the BRICS has become a "positive and stable force for good" in international affairs and its expansion with five more countries showed its bright prospects and expressed its full confidence in the group's future. In August, the top BRICS leaders at the grouping's summit in Johannesburg approved a proposal to admit six countries, including Argentina, into the bloc with effect from January 1. However, Argentina's new President Javier Milei last week announced withdrawing his country from becoming a member of the BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa). Playing down President Milei's move to withdraw his country from becoming a member of the BRICS, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a media briefing here that the addition of new members serves common aspiration of emerging markets and developing countries. "Let me make it very clear that we are fully confident in the BRICS' future," Wang said when asked to comment on Milei's ...

Brics expansion: Five nations including UAE, Saudi get full membership

The BRICS bloc of top emerging economies, including India, Russia and China, has announced induction of five full members into it as part of an attempt to expand its strategic heft against the backdrop of Western dominance in world affairs. As Moscow assumed the presidency of BRICS, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that the grouping has become a 10-nation body now with Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates joining it as new members. In August, the top BRICS leaders at the grouping's summit in Johannesburg approved a proposal to admit six countries, including Argentina, into the bloc with effect from January 1. However, Argentina's new President Javier Milei last week announced withdrawing his country from becoming a member of the BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa). "Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates joined BRICS as new full members which is a strong indication of the growing authority of the ...

India cautious as West makes new plan for economic sanctions on Russia

US, EU could be moving to make it difficult for Russia to sell not only crude but other products

Ukraine's 2 largest cities under heavy Russian missile attack, 1 killed

Ukraine's two largest cities came under heavy Russian missile attacks on Tuesday, killing one person and injuring dozens. Oleh Syniehubov, the governor of the Kharkiv region, said one person died and 41 were injured in Russian missile strikes that hit the centre of Kharkiv city and other areas. In Kyiv, the capital, five areas of the city were hit in the strikes and at least 12 people injured, according to mayor Vitali Klitschko. The barrage of the cities continued Russia's escalated attacks on Ukraine in recent days that began on Friday with its largest single attack on Ukraine since the war started, in which at least 41 civilians were killed. The following day, shelling of the Russian border city of Belgorod that Russian officials blamed on Ukraine killed more than two dozen people. Russia has struck back repeatedly since. The attack on Belgorod was one of the deadliest to take place on Russian soil since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine started more than 22 months ago. ..

Russian crude oil cargoes head away from India amid payment issues

"China seems to have stepped in to save the idling Sokol cargoes," said Viktor Katona, lead crude analyst at data intelligence provider Kpler

Ready for peace in Ukraine but only on Russia's terms, says Putin

"We also want to end the conflict, and as soon as possible" - but "only on our terms," Putin said. The Russian leader didn't specify what conditions must be met for peace

Russia launches record 90 drones on Ukraine during early hours of new year

Russia launched a record 90 Shahed-type drones over Ukraine during the early hours of the new year, the Ukrainian air force said Monday, while Russia also reported Ukrainian attacks. A 15-year-old boy was killed and seven people wounded after falling debris from one of 87 downed drones hit a residential building in the city of Odesa, the head of the region's military administration, Oleh Kiper, said. Debris also sparked a number of small fires, including at the city's port. In the western city of Lviv, Russian attacks severely damaged a museum dedicated to Roman Shukhevych, a controversial Ukrainian nationalist and military commander who fought for Ukrainian independence during World War II. University buildings in the town of Dubliany were also damaged, although no casualties were reported. Writing on social media, Lviv mayor Andriy Sadovyi described the strike as symbolic and cynical, adding, this is a war for our history." Meanwhile, four people were killed and 13 more wounded .

Crude oil imports from Russia plunge in December on payment issues

After rising to an all time record of 2.15 million barrels a day in May, oil imports from Russia fluctuated downwards, experiencing a sharp decline between November and December

Fresh drone strikes on Ukraine after Russia promises retaliation for attack

Russia launched a fresh drone assault on Ukraine on Saturday night, after promising that strikes on the Russian border city of Belgorod earlier in the day would not go unpunished. The Ukrainian Air Force said Sunday that it had shot down 21 of 49 drones launched by Russian forces overnight. Twenty-eight people were wounded in an attack on the eastern city of Kharkiv, regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said Sunday. A central hotel, apartment buildings, kindergarten, shops and administrative buildings sustained damage, according to the regional prosecutor's office. In the Kyiv region that surrounds the capital, a Russian drone attack caused a fire to break out at a critical infrastructure facility, local officials said. They did not identify the facility further. The Russian attacks came after shelling in the center of the Russian border city of Belgorod Saturday killed 24 people, including three children. A further 108 people were wounded in the strike, regional governor Vyacheslav Glad

Putin lauds Russian unity in New Year's address as war shadows celebration

Russian President Vladimir Putin praised Russia's united society in his prerecorded New Year's address to the nation, the country's state news agencies reported Sunday. Putin addressed Russians in a video that ran under four minutes long, significantly shorter than the New Year's speech he gave last year, according to state news agency RIA Novosti. Millions of people were expected to watch the new address when it airs on TV as each Russian time zone region counts down the final minutes of 2023 on Sunday. The first to see it were residents of the Kamchatka Peninsula and the Chukotka region in Russia's Far East, some nine hours ahead of Moscow. Returning to tradition after speaking flanked by soldiers last year, Putin delivered his address to the nation against the backdrop of a snowy Kremlin. In remarks carried by RIA Novosti, he described 2023 as a year marked by high levels of unity in Russian society. What united us and unites us is the fate of the Fatherland, a deep understandin